1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a modular system of devices, in which a master device can be combined with one or more of the other devices in the system to expand functionalities and features in different platforms and/or form factors.
2. Description of Related Art
The evolution of portable personal electronic devices has changed the life of consumers. For example, notebook computers, cellular phones, etc., provided utility and convenience to consumers which were not possible just 20 years ago. Some of the smaller portable electronic devices are developed with features and functionalities that rival comparably larger devices. For example, smartphones are now provided with sufficient processing power that can run applications but which were only available in larger notebook computers before.
Heretofore, handheld personal electronic devices have been developed in various form factors, each designed to optimize certain application utilities to users. For example, smartphones (e.g., Apple iPhone) have smaller form factors, as compared to tablet computers (e.g., Apple iPad). Smartphones are primarily used for telecommunication, which also provide access to the Internet, and run entertainment and productivity applications. Tablets, which have larger and higher resolution display screens as compared to smart phones but are lighter in weight than notebook computers, are primarily used as a consumer tool for providing access to the Internet, run entertainment and productivity applications, and in some models, also providing telecommunication function. Tablets require larger batteries in order to support relatively higher power consumption by the larger displays and other power consuming devices within the larger form factor of the tablets.
As can be appreciated, there are significant overlap of hardware and software functionalities and features between smartphones and tablets. With the development of increasingly more powerful and feature packed smartphones, the capabilities (e.g., processing power) of smartphones are comparable with the larger tablet computers and notebook computers, with the screen size and resolution and battery size being the significant differences between the devices of different form factors. For a user who wishes to have the convenience of a smartphone for telecommunication but also the enhanced display of a tablet, the user must purchase both devices, despite the redundant functions and features of the devices of different form factors. To ensure full functionality that the user is accustomed to when the user switches between devices, similar applications must be loaded in both devices. Further, certain data (e.g., personal data) entered in one device must be exchanged or synchronized with the other device, to make similar data available to the user when the user switches between devices. Heretofore, data synchronization applications are not robust enough to provide seamless, error free data synchronization.
The parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/186,397, which has been commonly assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a modular system of devices, in which a (master) device can be combined with one or more other (slave) devices in the system to transform to functional electronic devices (e.g., handheld cellular phone, tablet computing device, notebook PC device, netbook device, etc.) having expanded functionalities and features in expanded form factors and/or different platforms. The modular system reduces redundancy among the components of the various devices in the system, and instead improves operability with optimized and/or enhanced functionalities and features, as the master device transforms to a larger form factor and/or a different platform by combining with a slave device. When the master device has transformed from one form factor and/or platform into another by combining with one or more slave devices, the master device provides control and/or stored data to operate the slave devices. The master device and slave devices share certain control, hardware, software and data, to reduce redundancy between devices of various form factors and/or platform, in a manner that provides additional or different functions and features in an optimized and/or enhanced manner as the form factor and/or platform changes from one to another. The master device is docked to different slave devices via a physical port or interface and a data/electrical port or interface, so as to complete different functional electronic devices of different form factors and/or platform, to achieve enhanced functionalities or a different set of functionalities.
In one aspect of the invention disclosed in the parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/186,397, when undocked, the master device is independently functional with its own set of features. For example, a smart phone has its own operating system (O/S), a system processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), which is a general purpose processor, or a multi-function processor, which controls the various aspects of the system), a basic input/output system (BIOS) (which may be part of the system processor), memory (e.g., flash memory, RAM, solid state drive, etc.), display, keyboard, microphone, speakers, associated analog and digital circuitry, battery, etc. In one embodiment, the slave device is a dumb base device with limited features and functionalities, without any, or any significant, processing power of its own, and having different I/O specification (e.g., graphics resolution, audio, etc.). For example, a tablet-like slave device has memory (e.g., flash memory, RAM, solid state drive, etc.), display, keyboard, microphone, speakers, associate analog and digital circuitry, battery, etc., but no system processor. When the master device is docked to the larger slave device, the master device's system processor and operating system are used to run the slave device, and further the application programs residing in the master device, in the physical peripheral environment provided by the slave device (e.g., enhanced display). Additional application software may be installed in the slave device, which the master device system processor can run as well.
While the modular system disclosed in the parent U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/186,397 overcame the drawbacks of the prior art, it is desirable to develop a system that can further reduce the redundancies between devices, in hardware, software as well as data, while providing versatility across platforms and/or form factors.